Marketing Edge - Turning Your Vision into Reality

SMALL BUSINESS SURVIVAL TIPS NEWSLETTER: June 2009

Thank you for subscribing to Marketing Edge's SmallBusiness Survival Tips monthly newsletter. In this month's issue I discuss the challenge of putting all the pieces together to launch or grow your business.

I hope to see you at the National Veteran Small Business Conference July 20-23 where I'm speaking on my favorite topic: Creating a Powerful Elevator Pitch.

Beth Goldstein

Does your business strategy resemble a jigsaw puzzle?
I spent last Sunday with my 13 year old son, Ben, working on the most challenging jigsaw puzzle we've tackled to-date. It was a complicated 1000+ piece Mona Lisa image that, upon completion, promised to reveal special secrets about DaVinci.

We opened the box and spread the pieces out just as we always did....but as we started lining pieces up, they didn't make any sense. The picture on the front of the box didn't resemble the pieces we were finding. We had no clear direction of what the end product would look like. For some reason we continued on....assuming we'd find a good direction, once a few pieces came together.

Without a good roadmap to guide us through the process of piecing things together, I began to realize how much this resembled launching or growing a business. In your mind you have an image that you hope to achieve but the pieces don't always come together the way you anticipated. You try to join those that appear to match...yet, they simply won't cooperate ----as hard as you try jamming them together (yes, I tried to make a few work that simply didn't want to). The tension in the room grew, the more frustrated I became, and my son Ben simply stopped talking to me. Imagine my thrill when a friend called and I found an escape from this nightmare.

Funny how your perspective changes when you return (yup, I came back for more torture). Now, refreshed and able to see things in a different light it became obvious why the pieces, that minutes ago I was convinced HAD to fit together, simply didn't. Why didn't I see that earlier? Clearly because I was too involved with that specific area of the puzzle ....ignoring the bigger picture. Once I got one or two to fit together, I got into a rhythm, Ben was happy to have me back as a sane partner and it was smooth sailing from there (well, sorta smooth).

Growing a business presents many of the same frustrations, joys, road blocks and achievements. Most businesses don't turn out exactly the way you anticipated, even if you have a really good picture of what you think the end product should be. And there are going to be tons of frustrations along the way...some making you want to walk away. Hopefully you're drawn back and after a brief break you will see things more clearly...what works and what simply can't be jammed into place. The obvious answers that were invisible to you now become clear and you sail along the path with things feeling right...until you hit the next obstacle. But this time you remember that if you keep on trying, giving yourself breaks along the way and perhaps ask for some support from others who are working on different areas...you'll make it through. Plus the experience along the way, the conversations, the laughter, the tears...all make it worthwhile in the end.

Ben and I did eventually finish the Mona Lisa puzzle and, given that we are both serial entrepreneurs (or gluttons for punishment), are ready for our next adventure - the 3D White House.

8 Tips to Enhance Your Puzzle-Solving Experiences
1. Start out with a clear goal and vision
2. Be willing to change course when needed
3. Recognize that there will be obstacles along the way and plan for them
4. Remember to take time to step back and observe the 'big picture' without obsessing over the day-to-day minutia
5. Keep in mind the fact that the journey is as important as the end goal..it may take you places you had not anticipated
6. Don't be afraid to ask for outside advice or support
7. Pick your fellow adventure-seekers wisely since you'll need their support when the going gets tough
8. Finally, If you're a serial entrepreneur, make sure you don't start your next adventure until you've got this one wrapped up....or you'll just be left with a lot of unmatched puzzle pieces and nothing to show for your hard work and efforts.

Good luck with your business venture. If I can help you turn your vision into reality, please don't hesitate to contact me at beth@m-edge.com or by phone: 508.893.0976.

Questions?

Please complete our Contact Form or call us at 1.508.893.0976 to discover how we can help you grow your business.